Train Segregation
In "Boy on a Train," James and his family are forced to sit in the luggage compartment at the back of the train because of segregation laws. However, this segregation is meant to keep Black people and white people separate, but it ultimately brings them into close proximity, as James and his family are sitting just inches away from the white passengers in the front of the train. This contrast between the intended purpose of segregation and the way it brings people together in close quarters is an example of irony.
John's Situation
In the title story "The Black Ball," John is a hard-working, responsible father who takes pride in his job as a janitor at a ritzy apartment building. However, he is constantly belittled and mistreated by his white coworkers and supervisor, Mr. Berry. When a white stranger approaches John while he is polishing the brass door handles, John assumes that the stranger wants his job, because Mr. Berry has been firing his few Black employees and replacing them with white people. However, it turns out that the stranger is actually a recruiter for a Black college, and he offers John a scholarship for his son. This contrast between John's initial assumption that he is being threatened with job loss and the unexpected opportunity for his son's education is an example of irony.
The Bull's Brutality
In "Hymie's Bull," the security guards, or "bulls," are hired to kick bums off the trains, and they often severely injure or kill Black bums in the process. However, Hymie, a white bum, ends up killing one of the bulls in self-defense. The bulls' brutality is also an example of the power imbalance that existed between Black people and white people in American society. The bulls are white men who hold positions of authority and power, and they use this power to abuse and harm Black bums. This contrast between the intended purpose of the bulls (to protect the trains) and the way they end up being a threat to the bums is an example of irony.
